CIS: A Crash Course In Alternate Reality
by Gemini21
Summary: My series continues! On the night before Paige's and Keith's wedding, Melinda gets sent to an alternate reality...one where everyone is evil and she has no way to get home.
1. Premonition

A/N: I'm back! Charmed, I'm Sure (CIS) goes on! This is the sequel to The Keeper of the Crystal. Enjoy!  
  
A/N (2): This picks up about four months after The Keeper of the Crystal ends.  
  
Disclaimer: Yeah, I own Charmed. I'm also queen of planet Zacugamunta. In other words, I don't own Charmed.  
  
Chapter 1  
  
"Kids, your breakfast is getting cold!" Piper Halliwell yelled up the stairs of the manor.  
  
"We're coming!" her fifteen year-old daughter, Melinda called back.  
  
Melinda hurried down the stairs. Behind her was her eighteen year- old brother Wyatt, her fifteen year-old cousin, Tori, and her eleven year- old cousin, Blake.  
  
In the kitchen, Piper was putting breakfast on the table.  
  
"Morning sis!" Phoebe said, coming into the kitchen.  
  
"Hey," Piper said. "Any idea how Paige is doing?"  
  
"I wish I did," Phoebe said. "I know you were a wreck the day before your wedding. I was a wreck for my wedding."  
  
"Which wedding?" Piper asked. "To Cole, to David, or to Cole again?"  
  
"Funny," Phoebe said, sitting down.  
  
"Morning guys," Tori said as the kids walked in.  
  
"Morning," Phoebe said.  
  
"Has dad gotten back yet?" Wyatt asked his mother.  
  
"No. He orbed out last night with Prue and Andy, and they haven't gotten back yet," Piper said.  
  
The words were barely out of her mouth when Leo orbed in.  
  
"Hi dad," Melinda said. "Where are Prue and Andy?"  
  
"They had other charges to deal with," Leo replied. "Anyway, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but."  
  
"No demons, please no demons," Paige cut him off as she walked into the kitchen.  
  
"Paige we've all battled some supernatural thing on our wedding days," Phoebe said.  
  
"Yeah," Piper agreed. "With me it was Prue's astral projection gone wild."  
  
"My first wedding, Cole was the Source," Phoebe said. "My second wedding, a warlock shape-shifted into David. And my third wedding, we dealt with Melanie."  
  
"Glad to see it wasn't too bad for you," Piper said.  
  
Tori whistled. "I think Uncle Leo was trying to tell us something."  
  
"Thanks Tori," Leo said. "There is a demon on the lose. He escaped from the Elder's prison."  
  
This time Melinda cut him off. "The Elders have a prison?"  
  
"It's where they put demons that are extremely hard to vanquish and are very dangerous," Leo explained. "This demon, Tyvan, is an ancient demon. He has been around for centuries. He was the demon who stole the symbol of the pentagram from good and adopted it for evil. Therefore, the Source at that time gave him the title, the demon of the pentagram."  
  
"What do they want us to do now?" Blake asked.  
  
"Nothing yet," Leo answered.  
  
"You guys aren't doing anything now anyway," Piper said. "You have school. You've completed your first week back."  
  
Wyatt glanced at his watch. "I'll drive you guys. My first class starts in half an hour."  
  
The kids stood up, said goodbye to the adults, and left.  
  
"You will never believe who I saw at the mall last night," Melinda's friend, Janie Sanders said once they were at Baker High.  
  
"Who?" Melinda asked.  
  
"Josh Patterson," Janie said with a giggle.  
  
Melinda forced a smile. She wasn't crushing anyone ever again. Last time she did, her crush turned out to be a Darklighter, which are supernatural beings that kill Whitelighters. The Darklighter had shot Melinda. And since she was half Whitelighter, she nearly died.  
  
"I heard he likes you," Janie said.  
  
"Please Janie," Melinda replied. Melinda couldn't help feeling flattered. She did think Josh was kind of cute.  
  
"There he is!" Janie squealed.  
  
Melinda glanced up to see Josh coming towards them. She desperately wanted to freeze the hallway and make a run for it, but that would only risk exposure.  
  
"Hi Melinda," Josh said.  
  
"Hey," Melinda answered.  
  
"Look, I was wondering maybe if you wanted to go out to dinner on Sunday," he asked. "I have a football game Saturday."  
  
"Uhmm," Melinda said. "Sorry. I can't."  
  
"Ok, well that's cool," Josh replied. "Offer still stands."  
  
Josh turned and left.  
  
"I don't believe you Melinda!" Janie exclaimed. "He's the hottest guy at Baker."  
  
"I'm a sophomore and he's a junior," Melinda began. "And he's a jock."  
  
"But a smart jock," Janie said. "Come on Mel! I live vicariously though you, and you know that."  
  
"Oh no you don't," Melinda thought. "If you did live vicariously though me, then you'd run as fast as you can in the opposite direction."  
  
Tori ran up to them. "I need to steal Melinda for a sec."  
  
Tori pulled Melinda into the janitor's closet.  
  
"Why are we in here?" Melinda asked.  
  
"Because I had a premonition," Tori said. "And it wasn't pretty." 


	2. Tyvan

Chapter 2  
  
"So your saying that in your premonition, we died?" Phoebe asked.  
  
It was after school. The family was in the solarium, discussing Tori's premonition.  
  
"That's what it looked like," Tori said. "It was really fuzzy. And it was one of us. Not all of us."  
  
"Tell us about it one more time," Piper said.  
  
"It happens tonight," Tori began. "We're in an alley, and there's a demon. We're standing around him, and a couple of us are on the side. We're chanting, and suddenly one of us is in the middle of it all, and they vanish."  
  
"Which one of us?" Wyatt asked.  
  
"I don't know," Tori said. "That part is fuzzy."  
  
"What demon was it?" Cole asked.  
  
"He had long black robes, long, shaggy black hair, and a pentagram on his forehead," Tori described. "You know him?"  
  
"That's Tyvan," Cole replied.  
  
"This is great," Paige said. "Someone is going to die before my wedding day."  
  
"Ok, this is our plan," Phoebe said, standing up. "We go to the alley tonight, kick some demon butt, and then come home and sleep before Paige's and Keith's wedding."  
  
*****************  
  
"I still don't understand why we're here," Blake said. "I know that we're the protectors of the innocent and all, but don't we have to protect ourselves?"  
  
"Got him!" Piper exclaimed. She had been scrying for Tyvan, and they finally had found him.  
  
"Hey Tyvan!" Phoebe exclaimed as the Charmed family walked into the alley.  
  
Tyvan turned around. "Stupid witches."  
  
"Oh, we're not the stupid ones," Piper said. "We're the Charmed Ones."  
  
"Say the spell!" Tori said.  
  
Paige, Piper, and Phoebe began reading the spell:  
  
"Higher powers from above,  
We call upon you.  
Vanquish this evil with thy magic white,  
Vanquish him into forever's night!"  
  
Piper reached into her pocket for the potion. She picked it up, ready to throw it on Tyvan. Paige and Phoebe kept on chanting.  
  
That's when Tyvan grabbed Melinda. He pulled her into the center of it all, right in front of him, just as Piper threw the potion.  
  
The potion hit the ground and exploded with a flash of bright, yellow light. When is cleared, Tyvan was standing there, but Melinda was gone.  
  
Tyvan glanced around, a smirk on his face. Then he shimmered out, leaving Piper, Phoebe, Paige, Cole, and the kids to wonder where on this earth or another Melinda was.  
  
***********  
  
Melinda awoke in an all-too familiar room.  
  
"What am I doing in Aunt Phoebe's and Cole's room?" she asked. "And why does my head feel like I just ran head first into a brick wall?"  
  
Melinda stood up and looked at herself in the mirror. "Whoa. Since when am I La Femme Nikita?"  
  
Melinda was wearing a tight black midriff tank top. She had on very short, tight, black leather shorts. She had on knee-length black boots. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail. Loose, black, sheer covering covered her tank top. The strangest thing of all was around her waist.  
  
Around Melinda's waist was something that resembled her dad's tool belt. Only on her belt were knives.  
  
"If this is Wyatt's sick idea of my Halloween costume, then I will hurt him," Melinda muttered.  
  
She walked towards the door and opened it. In the hallway were many men and women wearing all black. They sort of resembled demons in their human form.  
  
Melinda quickly shut the door. "What is going on here? Did Tyvan do something?"  
  
Melinda sank down onto the bed. "This isn't good. I have no clue where I am. And nothing good can come from this."  
  
*****************************************************  
  
"Leo? Prue? Andy?" Paige called as they walked back into the manor.  
  
They found the Whitelighters in the living room.  
  
"What happened?" Andy asked when he saw the looks on their faces."  
  
"Why is Piper crying?" Leo asked.  
  
"Because," Phoebe started. "I think we vanquished Melinda." 


	3. What's the Story Here?

VERY IMPORTANT AUTHORS NOTE: Guys, I am so sorry that I haven't updated since June 8. My mom was admitted into a hospice the next day, and she passed away on June 12. I didn't want to write much after that. Then our computer broke, but we didn't lose anything.  
  
A/N (2): There will be no updates for the next eight days, because my dad and stepmom are taking my brother and me to Florida.  
  
Chapter 3  
  
"It is physically impossible for you to vanquish a witch," Prue said.  
  
"Well then," Piper said. "Please tell me where I sent my daughter!"  
  
"Drink this mom," Wyatt said, handing her a glass of water.  
  
Piper nodded and took a sip. "I can't believe I vanquished my own daughter."  
  
"Aunt Piper, you didn't vanquish her," Tori said.  
  
The doorbell rang. Leo went to answer it and returned with Keith.  
  
"What's going on?" Keith asked.  
  
"We have a slight supernatural problem," Blake said.  
  
"How slight?" Keith questioned.  
  
"We may or may not have vanquished Melinda," Paige said slowly.  
  
"Well," Keith said. "Which one is it?"  
  
"How many times do I have to tell you people?" Prue exclaimed. Everyone looked at her. "It is physically impossible! Piper and Wyatt, it's like how your freezing power won't work on other witches. Now, we're going to consult the book, and find a way to fix this."  
  
*******************  
  
"Just calm down Melinda," Melinda muttered to herself. "Think. What is the last thing you remember?"  
  
That's when Melinda realized. "Now I've got it. This is Heaven and Hell all rolled into one. I'm dead."  
  
The door to her room opened and in walked a person who was vaguely familiar.  
  
"You're up!" he exclaimed. He looked like a doctor.  
  
"Who are you?" Melinda asked.  
  
The man looked at her. "Dr. Bradley. I'm your family doctor. You must have received some head trauma when that witch sent you flying into that wall."  
  
"Dr. Bradley?" Melinda exclaimed. "You were the one that treated me last year when I got hit by a car! And how do you know about witches?"  
  
The door opened once more and in walked Phoebe.  
  
"How's she doing doctor?" Phoebe asked.  
  
"She seems to have forgotten who she is," Dr. Bradley stated.  
  
"I haven't forgotten who I am!" Melinda protested. "My name is Melinda Prudence Halliwell. I'm fifteen years old. I'm the daughter of Piper Halliwell and Leo Wyatt. My mom is a Charmed One. We are good witches and protectors of the innocent!"  
  
"Should I go tell the Source that she'll be out for a while?" Doctor Bradley asked.  
  
"Please," Phoebe said.  
  
"The Source?" Melinda questioned. "Let me at him! I'll kill him!"  
  
Dr. Bradley left and Phoebe turned to Melinda. "Sweetheart, that's you old life. You seem to have forgotten you new life."  
  
"And what's in my new life?" Melinda asked coldly.  
  
Phoebe smiled. "You're the Source's personal bounty hunter."  
  
"What?" Melinda exclaimed. "I will be the Source's personally bounty hunter the day chickens have lips!"  
  
"Sweetheart, you've been through a tough time," Phoebe said. "That was a tough battle you fought today."  
  
Melinda didn't know what was going on yet, but she decided to play along. "Oh my gosh! What was I thinking! I live to serve the Source!"  
  
Phoebe smiled. "That's my girl."  
  
Dr. Bradley returned. "The Source demands to see her."  
  
"I'm for it," Melinda said, standing up and exiting the room.  
  
Phoebe led her down stairs and into the basement of the manor. Torches dimly lighted the basement. Several bodyguards stood around a tall throne.  
  
Phoebe instantly dropped to her knee. "My liege."  
  
Melinda looked around, puzzled, and then followed Phoebe's example.  
  
"You may rise," a voice said.  
  
When Melinda heard the voice, she felt like she had been punched hard in the stomach. She knew that voice. She knew it all too well. It was the same voice she had heard growing up. It was the same voice that had comforted her when she fell off her bike. It was the same voice that said goodbye as Melinda boarded the school bus for the first time.  
  
And it was the voice that had taught her witchcraft.  
  
Confirming her suspicions, Melinda stood up. She didn't want to believe it, but there it was. Sitting on that throne was the last person Melinda had ever excpected- or wanted- to hear.  
  
And that voice belonged to her Aunt Paige. 


	4. Three Sides To Every Story: Good's side,...

Chapter 4  
  
"You're the Source?" Melinda exclaimed.  
  
Paige frowned. "Why doesn't she know this?"  
  
"When Samantha threw her into the wall, Dr. Bradley and I do believe that Melinda has suffered some head trauma," Phoebe said.  
  
"Are you up to fighting darling?" Paige asked.  
  
"Yes Aunt Paige," Melinda answered.  
  
Paige smiled a wicked smile. "Good for you. You are dismissed."  
  
Phoebe led Melinda out of the basement and into the solarium. They past many demons on the way.  
  
Melinda recognized all of the people sitting in that room. There was her mother, her brother, and her cousins.  
  
"You're up!" Piper observed.  
  
Melinda nodded. She still had no clue what was gong on.  
  
"We really thought we had lost you sis," Wyatt said.  
  
"I don't die without a fight," Melinda lied. Then she looked around. "Where's dad?"  
  
Everyone exchanged a glance.  
  
"How hard did Samantha throw you into the wall?" Tori asked.  
  
"Your father and I are divorced Melinda," Piper said.  
  
"Why?" Melinda asked.  
  
"He's a being of good," Phoebe said. "And you know just as well as anyone, someone that serves the Source can't love any beings of good."  
  
Melinda thought fast. She had to contact her dad. Maybe he had answers.  
  
"I'm feeling kind of tired," Melinda said. "I think I'm going to go upstairs and take a nap."  
  
Her family nodded as she walked upstairs.  
  
Once in her room, Melinda changed into the only pair of normal clothes she had: black jeans and a black short sleeve short. Then she searched for a map and a crystal. She found them in a desk draw.  
  
"Now all I need is something of dads," Melinda muttered. She opened a draw and found a picture of Leo.  
  
"I guess the me in this reality had some human left in her," Melinda thought.  
  
Melinda began scrying. The crystal landed on 419 James Street.  
  
"Gotcha," Melinda said. Then she orbed out.  
  
"We're going to protect you Samantha," Leo said, kneeling down next to the woman.  
  
"I don't understand," Samantha said. "Why would the Source want me dead?"  
  
"The Source is evil," Andy said. "That's why."  
  
"The Source is also your sister-in-law," Samantha said to Leo.  
  
"Ex sister-in-law," Leo replied.  
  
Samantha turned towards Prue.  
  
Prue cut her off. "They're not my sisters anymore. The day they turned to evil, they were no longer my sisters."  
  
Samantha turned to Cole. "What about you?"  
  
"I have no relationship with the Charmed Ones or their kids anymore," Cole said.  
  
The room filled with bright lights. When they cleared, Melinda was standing there.  
  
Leo, Prue, Andy, Cole, and Samantha stood up. Samantha raised her arm, ready to throw Melinda backwards.  
  
"Wait," Melinda said. "I won't attack if you won't."  
  
"What are you doing here?" Prue asked.  
  
"Looking for answers," Melinda replied.  
  
"How do we know this isn't a trick so you can get to Samantha to please the Source?" Andy asked.  
  
"You don't," Melinda said. "You just have to trust me."  
  
"How can we trust you anymore?" Leo asked.  
  
"Because I'm not evil," Melinda said. "And I'm your daughter."  
  
"She doesn't look evil anymore," Samantha said slowly.  
  
"I just want answers," Melinda said. "Then I'll leave you alone."  
  
"Why do you need answers?" Cole asked.  
  
"Because I'm not who you think I am," Melinda began. "I've been taken into an alternate reality. That's the only logical explanation."  
  
"How?" Prue asked.  
  
"By this demon named Tyvan," Melinda said. "In my world, we're not evil. We're still the good Charmed Ones. And we were trying to kill Tyvan when I got sent here."  
  
There was a moment of silence.  
  
"I believe her," Leo said.  
  
"Leo?" Cole exclaimed.  
  
"She's my daughter," Leo said. "That's why I believe her."  
  
"We better go," Andy said. "We'll continue this somewhere else."  
  
Samantha nodded.  
  
"I'm sorry that I tried to kill you!" Melinda exclaimed as they orbed out.  
  
The five reappeared in an alley.  
  
"Start talking," Prue said.  
  
"Alright," Melinda said. "Question one. How did everyone turn evil?" 


	5. Melinda Switch

Chapter 5  
  
"Do you have a Keith in your reality?" Leo asked.  
  
"Yeah," Melinda replied. "He's Paige's fiancée."  
  
"Well, he was in this reality too," Cole said. "Then Paige found out that he was having an affair. She called off the engagement, and she was heartbroken."  
  
"Evil decided to take advantage of Paige's vulnerability," Andy said. "They captured all of you, except Paige."  
  
"Evil said that the only way for her to get them back was to turn evil," Prue said. "To turn into the new Source."  
  
"Paige agreed, only to save you all," Leo said. "She turned evil. But then evil betrayed her. They wanted to get the Charmed Ones on their side. They captured you all once more, and they said they would steal the power to orb, and go kill the Elders and Whitelighters. They blackmailed you into going to the bad side."  
  
"You were denied your rights to Whitelighters," Prue said. "And Leo and Piper got divorced."  
  
"Everything is beginning to make a little more sense," Melinda said. Then she paused. "Wait a sec. If I got transported into this reality, where did the Melinda from this reality go?"  
  
***********************  
  
"This book tells us nothing on where she might be," Paige said, shutting the book.  
  
"I can't believe this," Piper muttered.  
  
"She's only been gone for ten minutes," Wyatt said. "She'll be back."  
  
Out of no where, a girl appeared. She looked exactly like Melinda; only she wasn't their Melinda.  
  
"Melinda?" Phoebe questioned.  
  
The girl pulled a knife from her belt. "Stay back!"  
  
"Or not," Paige muttered.  
  
Back in the alternate reality, Melinda was prepared to ask her second question.  
  
"Earlier," she started. "Mom said we served the Source. What exactly do we do?"  
  
"When Paige turned evil," Andy began. "She wanted her evil sisters by her side. But Piper and Phoebe were determined to bring you, Wyatt, Tori and Blake with them. You all are her warriors. Your jobs vary. Tori is her personal physic, you're her bounty hunter, and so on."  
  
Melinda nodded. "Last question. Is there any way to turn them back?"  
  
Back in the other reality, the family was not having much luck restraining their visitor.  
  
"Piper, freeze her!" Paige yelled.  
  
"What if I blow her up?" Piper asked.  
  
"Who cares at this point?" Wyatt exclaimed. "That girl is not my sister!"  
  
Piper froze "Melinda" and turned to her family. "What the heck was that all about?"  
  
"Is there anything in the book?" Tori asked.  
  
"I think so," Prue replied. "Alternate Realities."  
  
"And?" Blake asked.  
  
"I think we transported our Melinda into an alternate reality," Prue said. "And the Melinda from the other reality got sent here."  
  
"But why is she attacking us?" Phoebe asked. "She should recognize us."  
  
"I have a hunch," Prue said. "It's a long shot, but it might be true."  
  
"What is it?" Leo asked.  
  
"She started attacking us after she found out we were good," Prue said. "So what if in the reality she's from, we're evil?"  
  
"That's crazy," Tori replied.  
  
"But possible," Leo replied.  
  
Back in the other reality, Melinda was waiting for an answer from her father. "So? Can we change them back?"  
  
"We've been through something like this before," Cole said. "It was when I was the Source and Phoebe was my queen. You make a choice to be evil. You can't be changed to evil. You make a choice. It's the power of freewill. Freewill is the one power neither side has control over."  
  
"So you're saying the only way to turn them back is to try to influence their freewill for good?" Melinda asked.  
  
"Exactly," Leo answered.  
  
"Huh," Melinda said. "I better be heading back. We still need to talk though."  
  
"Meet us tonight at P3," Prue said.  
  
Melinda nodded, and forced a smile as she orbed back to the manor.  
  
Once in the manor, she headed downstairs.  
  
"There you are!" Piper exclaimed meeting her at the foot of the stairs. "The Source wishes to see you."  
  
"Don't you mean Aunt Paige mom?" Melinda asked.  
  
"Melinda," Piper said harshly. "We address her as my queen, or my liege."  
  
"Sure," Melinda said, with a hint of sarcasm in her voice.  
  
Piper led her down to the basement, where Paige sat on her throne.  
  
"State your business," one of the guards demanded.  
  
"The Source wished to see my daughter," Piper said. "I've brought her."  
  
"Very well," the guard said.  
  
Melinda walked towards Paige, and bowed. She looked around and noticed her mother had gone.  
  
"I have another kill for you Melinda," Paige said.  
  
Melinda nodded. "Who is it, my liege?"  
  
Paige waved her arm and a picture of a boy appeared in front of her. "Josh Patterson. He's a future Whitelighter that I want out of the way."  
  
Melinda couldn't speak. It was Josh, the boy that liked her. He was a future Whitelighter!  
  
"Say something Melinda," Paige said.  
  
"I'll- I'll get right on it," Melinda stammered.  
  
"Only you won't be going in for the kill alone," Paige said. "I don't want you to get hurt again."  
  
"Whom am I working with?" Melinda asked.  
  
"Bring him to me!" Paige exclaimed to her guards.  
  
The guards brought a demon into the room then, and Melinda almost fainted. It was the demon who had done this to her.  
  
It was Tyvan. 


End file.
